British actor Bella Ramsey has become the target of widespread online harassment following their role as Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation. The 21-year-old performer, who identifies as non-binary and is on the autism spectrum, has faced intense criticism from fans of the original PlayStation video game series who believe they were miscast for the role.
The backlash against Ramsey has been particularly severe on social media platforms, with Reddit communities dedicated to the show expressing harsh opinions about their appearance, acting abilities, and personal characteristics. Much of the criticism centers on the fact that Ramsey does not physically resemble the video game version of Ellie, leading to accusations from purists that the casting was inappropriate. However, showrunner Craig Mazin has defended the choice, stating that “it doesn’t matter. Just watch what happens.”
